PERSONAL POUR

I FIND EMERIL himself a bit annoying to watch on TV, but his food rocks -- no argument -- and as it turns out, the famous New Orleans chef also has shockingly good taste in wines.
How do I know? TastingRoom.com sent me two of their new celebrity wine samplers curated by Lagasse. One consists of his daily picks, the other his selections for holiday meals.
Emeril's Everyday Sampler ($32.95) of six tiny bottles demonstrates his love of stout red wines with serious tannins; wines with fun, funky character and backbone. The holiday sampler ($39.95)) wines are more refined, but reflect the same sensibility.
Since I loved Emeril's samplers, I can't wait to try those of other chefs in the TastingRoom lineup -- including chefs such as Michael Chiarello, Rajat Parr, Bridget Moynahan, Molly Sims and Curtis Stone.Samplers can be purchased online at www.TastingRoom.com